THE BEST 100% Whole Grain Bread

Wow. Hands down, this has got to be my favorite recipe this year! Makes the BEST sandwich bread! My favorite way to eat it, is toasted, and then slathered with some peanut butter and a side of banana...YUMMY IN MY TUMMY!! No more store bought, whole grain bread for me! And dare I say...I think this bread tastes BETTER than Dave's Killer Bread?!? MAYBE. It may not have all of the fancy grains that they use, but hey, from-scratch whole grain bread and knowing EXACTLY what went in it--I'd say you're winning either way!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups of hot water

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of maple syrup

2 Tablespoons of unsalted melter butter

2 Tablespoons of sugar

2 cups of hard red wheat flour (I prefer Bob's Red Mills)

2 Tablespoons of active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups of hard white wheat flour (I prefer King Arthur Flour) plus additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups more

1 cup of ground steel cut oats

1/4 cup of vital wheat gluten

1 Tablespoon of sea salt

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
coconut oil cooking spray

parchment paper

2 loaf pans


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the first five ingredients into your stand mixer (or LARGE mixing bowl if doing by hand), and stir using a spatula.
2. Add in your red wheat flour, mix well, and allow this to sit for 10-15 minutes to help cool down the dough a bit before adding in your yeast.
3. Add in your yeast. With your dough hook attachment, turn mixer on to "stir" for about 30 seconds.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, add in your hard white wheat flour, ground steel cut oats, and vital wheat gluten.
5. With your stand mixer on "stir" slowly incorporate the rest of your flour mixture. Mix for 1 minute and then add in your sea salt.
6. Add in additional white wheat flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough stops sticking the sides of the bowl and starts clumping up under your dough hook attachment. Dough should remain slightly wet and sticky. (I usually add an additional 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup depending on the humidity.)
7. Dump your dough onto a clean and floured surface. With floured hands, quickly knead the sticky dough to create somewhat of a smooth ball.
8. Place the wet dough into a mixing bowl that has been sprayed with coconut oil cooking spray. Spray the top of the dough as well and then place a piece of saran wrap DIRECTLY on top of the surface of the dough to prevent a crust from forming. Allow the warm dough to rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
9. Place dough on a clean, floured surface and use the fold-over method to remove air bubbles. DO NOT PUNCH IT. Gently poke it with your fingers and begin to knead the dough, pulling it up and over itself until it's smooth and about the same size as it was before it doubled in size.
10. Divide dough in half and shape into loaves. (Watch my video below to see how I do it.)
11. Place shaped loaves into bread pans that have been sprayed with some coconut oil and then lined with a piece of saran wrap for easy removal.
12. Cover loaf pans with a clean dish towel and let them rise until they are about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch above the bread pans and nicely domed at the tops--about an hour. Watch them closely, because you can OVERPROOF them.
13. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes or until tops are golden brown and when tapped on the bottom, sound hollow.
14. Let the finished bread sit in the pan for 5 minutes and then run a spatula around the edges to make sure the bread comes out in one piece. Place on wire rack to cool COMPLETELY before slicing, at least 1 hour.

NOTES:

-You may choose to roll your loaves in some toasted oats, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds AFTER you've shaped them for their final rise. Just spay the loaves in a bit of coconut oil spray first so that they adhere better. My kids always pick those off so I choose to leave them out. :)

-I purchase steel cut oats in the bulk section at my local grocery store. I place the oats into a blender and pulse until smooth.

-This bread stays nice and soft on the counter FOR DAYS. I wrap up the bread in saran wrap, cover with a layer of foil, and then place it into a grocery bag with a tight knot. Not the prettiest packaging for it, but it gets the job done.

-This bread freezes well! Wrap the loaf tightly first and then freeze for later use.

-Make sure your water isn't too hot before adding your yeast--you don't want to kill it!

-Don't use old yeast. I write the date (month and year) on the caps of my yeast jars so I know how long I've had it. I typically will replace my yeast every 6 months.

Baked Turkey Quinoa and Apple Meatballs

These HEALTHY meatballs are my new favorite! My husband and I agree, that we could probably eat these everyday and never get sick of them. But since I'm afraid that it could be a possibility, I make sure to switch it up, anyways. :)

Make sure to add these into your next meal prep--you won't regret it! My favorite pairing with these meatballs: pan-fried garlic green beans and brown rice. SO DELICIOUS!!

INGREDIENTS:
MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN MINI-MEATBALLS

1 pound of lean ground turkey

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 celery stick finely chopped

1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup of finely chopped apple or bosc pear

1 green onion chopped

1/2 cup of cooked quinoa

1 egg

1 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of chili flakes

1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning

1 tsp of onion powder

3 tsp of dried parsley

handful of chopped basil

black pepper to taste

olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Into a skillet on medium-high heat, add in some coconut oil. Add in your chopped garlic, celery, carrot, a pinch of salt, and cook until tender. Add in your chopped apples and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and stir in your green onion. Stir, remove cooked veggies and place in a dish to allow it to cool down before using.

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 400 DEGREES F

2. In your large mixing bowl, add in your ground turkey, (cooled down) cooked veggies, egg, cooked quinoa, chopped basil, salt, chili flakes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, dried parsley, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.

3. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Using a melon baller, scoop out the meatballs onto your baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (check after 15 by cutting one open). Do not over bake!

NOTES:

*If you are short on time and you need to cool down your cooked veggies, fast, just place them in the freezer for ten minutes before using!

Fluffy Lemon Quinoa

My current obsession: quinoa! This super food is a complete protein containing all of the essential amino acids and has a low glycemic index which is good for blood sugar control.  I eat it in place of my brown rice on most days but will really interchange the two, depending on my mood. Quinoa has slightly more carbs than brown rice, but overall, quinoa is my food of choice because of all of the health benefits that come along with it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of organic quinoa

2 cups of low sodium chicken broth or water

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

2 tsp of dried parsley

1/4 tsp of salt

lemon for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place quinoa into a medium sized saucepan. Add in chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Turn heat to medium-high and allow it to come to a rolling boil. Turn heat down to medium-low and allow it to simmer UNCOVERED for 15 minutes (check after 10 minutes), or until all of the liquid has evaporated. Turn heat OFF, cover with a lid, and allow for the quinoa to steam for an additional 5 minutes. Do not remove quinoa from the burner. Remove cover and fluff up using a fork. Add a squeeze of lemon before serving. Perfect quinoa, every time! :)

NOTES:

*If using water + chicken base or bouillon cube, make sure to add the base or bouillon cube, first, into your measuring cup and then add in 1 cup of hot water, mix till fully dissolved, followed by the other 1 cup of water. I find that adding in 2 cups of water and then adding the bouillon after, makes too much liquid and the result is soggy quinoa.

*I purchase my quinoa from Costco and it already comes pre-rinsed. Depending on the brand you are using, you may want to pre-rinse to get rid of any bitter or soapy after-taste.

Crockpot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium sized head of cabbage (you will need about 16 leaves for the actual rolls but you'll need some extra for the rest of the recipe)

FOR THE FILLING:
3/4 pound (12 ounces) of organic ground turkey

1 cup of cooked organic brown rice with quinoa (may sub for all quinoa or all brown rice or white rice)

freshly grated ginger

1 carrot finely chopped

1 celery finely chopped

1 green onion chopped

2 cloves of chopped garlic

1/2 of an onion finely chopped (cut the other half into large chunks and reserve for later)

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of sugar

black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

1 (14.5 ounce) can of organic (no salt) fire roasted tomatoes

1 Tablespoon of Maggie seasoning (or soy sauce)

1-2 Tablespoon of brown sugar (optional)

1 Tablespoon of flour

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Boil a large pot of water. (Make sure it's big enough to almost completely submerge the whole head of cabbage.)
2. While you wait for your water to boil, score the top of your cabbage. You want to score around the core of the cabbage and get in there with your knife at least two inches down. This step will make your cabbage leaves fall off easily in the hot water and keep the leaves whole. (Watch my video here to get a better picture of what I mean.) PLEASE BE CAREFUL with this part.
3. When your water is at a hard boil, GENTLY drop in your whole head of cabbage. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. After a minute, you should start to see the leaves fall off of the cabbage. Once the leaves have softened a bit, immediately remove them and place them on a dish towel fitted over a baking sheet. This whole process should take about 5 minutes. You only need about 16 leaves for the actual recipe, but you will need additional leaves for the rest of the recipe, so I recommend just using most of the leaves from the head of cabbage.
4. Using a clean dish towel, make sure to dry your leaves, completely.
5. With a pair of kitchen shears, you want to cut out most of the hard rib from the center of the cabbage leaves. Reserve the cut up pieces of cabbage and place them in a bowl for later use.
6. Into a large mixing bowl, add in your ground turkey, cooked brown rice with quinoa, carrots, celery, half a chopped onion, green onion, chopped garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle in a bit of extra virgin olive oil and mix well.
7. Make your tomato sauce: Combine your can of fire roasted tomatoes, Maggie seasoning, brown sugar, flour, oregano, and black pepper. Stir well. Set aside.
8. Begin to assemble your rolls: Using a melon baller, if you have it, scoop out two rounded Tablespoons of filling on top of each cabbage leaf. Roll up and over the filling at least twice, tuck in the sides, and roll again. Don't roll it too firmly, because the tighter it is, the longer they will take to cook.
9. Into your crockpot, add in your excess rib leaves that you saved from earlier. Top that with the remaining thick slices of onion. Take some of your tomato sauce and pour that over your onions.
10. Add in all of your cabbage rolls and then top with the rest of the tomato sauce. Cover with the remaining WHOLE cabbage leaves, no more than two layers. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8. Check for doneness. Keeps in the fridge for a few days! My favorite way to eat them is with brown rice or quinoa. :)

Avocado Pesto

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably already know that I've been shifting gears into more healthier eating. I started kickboxing 7 weeks ago (and I do it 5 times a week!), and since then, have decided to eat healthy 6 days a week, leaving me with only 1 day out of the week where I can indulge. This recipe is one of the first in my series of "healthy eats." I wanted to combine avocados with a classic pesto sauce because we all know avocados contain good fat that our body needs. This recipe has been "husband approved" and I hope that you guys love it, too!

INGREDIENTS:

1 4 ounce container of Basil

half a bunch of cilantro

juice from 2 lemons

2 small ripe avocados (or 1 large Hass avocado)

4 small cloves of finely chopped garlic

2 big pinches of salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard (or to taste)

1/4 cup of pine nuts (optional)

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

YOU'LL ALSO NEED:

noodles of your choice, cooked according to the packaging

grilled chicken strips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all of the above ingredients into a food processor or blender EXCEPT for the olive oil. Pulse the ingredients until just combined and then slowly drizzle in your olive oil until desired consistency. Taste check. Store any unused pesto in refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for later use.

Beet Smoothie

I officially became obsessed with beets after I started running. I hate exercising, but I realized that the older I get, the more healthier I want to become. And...it may, or may not, have something to do with the fact that my pants are getting a little snug around my mid section, if ya get my drift.

This smoothie is HEALTHY and equally delicious! I like my smoothies a little thicker, that way, it makes me feel a little fuller. Feel free to up the liquid in it, to make for a thinner consistency.

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup of coconut milk/almond milk/coconut water

1 beet steamed and then peeled

1 green apple

1 piece of kale cleaned with rib (stem) removed

1 frozen banana

1 carrot (or 3 ounces of carrot)

freshly grated ginger

juice from half a lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Put your milk into your blender and then add in your lemon juice. Add in the rest of your ingredients into your blender, and pulse until smooth. Pulse two or three times to make sure that all of the ingredients are mixed well. Check for consistency. Add more liquid if needed.

Acai Bowls

My husband and I were recently in San Diego and we absolutely fell in love with acai bowls. If you love yogurt parfaits topped with fresh fruit and granola, well then...this recipe is right up your alley!

The acai berry is a Brazilian berry packed with tons of antioxidants, amino acids, and omega fatty acids. You cannot get it fresh here, so your best bet is to locate the frozen smoothie version(by Sambazon)in your healthy frozen foods aisle.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

1 packet of frozen acai berries
1/2 of a banana
1-2 Tbsp. of apple juice(add more as needed)
6 frozen grapes(optional)
1/4 cup of frozen blueberries(optional)

For the toppings:

granola
fresh fruit
honey or agave nectar
coconut flakes
crushed peanuts/walnuts

Instructions: Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and puree until smooth. Only add enough apple juice to get your motor running. Pour it into a small bowl and top with granola, fresh fruit, honey and coconut flakes.

NOTES: For the full health benefits of the acai berry, I would recommend only adding a little bit of apple juice and then omitting everything else. Also, don't use granola with dried fruit in it. The texture doesn't fit in well with the acai bowls.